Touch
by KatBauer
Summary: The most painful scars are the ones that run the deepest, the ones that remain hidden in the darkest corners. The ones that you cannot see. Not with your eyes.


Curled into Ward's side on the couch, and with her tablet momentarily forgotten on her lap, Skye watched him in silence as he read, intently studying his face as if trying to commit to memory every single detail.

The way his eyebrows were knitted together in absolute concentration, the crinkle on the corners of his eyes whenever he would find something particularly amusing, or how he would purse his lips in mild exasperation.

She couldn't help herself, her fingertips moving out of their own accord and reaching over to lightly caress his cheek, tracing the faint outline of the scar on his cheekbone.

He turned to look at her then, slightly startled by the sudden and unexpected touch, and swiftly caught her hand in his, giving her fingers a soft squeeze.

"Does it bother you?" she asked softly, biting down on her bottom lip.

He shook his head no, but the way in which he was still holding her hand tightly against his chest, didn't go unnoticed by her.

"Hey," she said, her voice now a soothing whisper. "It's just me."

"I know. I'm sorry," he answered, and when his shoulders slumped forward and he averted his gaze, looking almost as if her were ashamed of himself, Skye slowly pulled away and moved to sit on the coffee table in front of him.

She gently took his face in her hands and tilted his head up so she could look him in the eye. When their gazes met, she let her fingers travel along his jaw and up, running them through his hair and watching as his eyes fluttered closed just for a second before he forced them open again.

_Never let your guard down. You don't know what kind of threat might be lurking in the shadows, and you need to be prepared._

His words echoed through her head, a long since forgotten memory from the old days, back when things were much simpler and easier, and the worst pain was the one a physical wound could inflict.

Now she knew better.

The most painful scars are the ones that run the deepest, the ones that remain hidden in the darkest corners. The ones that you cannot see.

Not with your eyes.

"I want to show you something," she said, and his expression perked up just that little bit, causing the corners of her mouth to quirk up in a fond smile. "If you let me," she added, her tone now laced with uncertainty, seeking his gaze once again and silently asking for permission.

"I trust you," he said simply, honesty palpable in each word.

"Come here," she whispered, cradling his face in her hands again as she leaned in, kissing the tip of his nose. He eyed her curiously, but she didn't stop there, her eyes sparkling with a mix of mischief and determination.

Kissing the bridge of his nose, she leaned up and brushed her lips across the worry lines that had formed on his forehead, smiling softly when they instantly disappeared under the touch of lips.

"Much better," she murmured, and she heard him chuckle, his hands now settling on her hips and pulling her closer to him.

She kissed his temple, his cheeks and his eyelids when he closed his eyes with a contented hum, finally allowing himself to enjoy the attention.

"Take your shirt off?" she asked, lips hovering over his ear.

That took him by surprise, and his brow furrowed as he pulled back to give her a questioning look. Still, after a second of hesitation, he complied, tossing his shirt aside while his eyes remained fixed on her the entire time.

"You said you wanted to show me something?" he asked, and when she nodded but didn't say anything else, he arched his eyebrows at her.

Carefully pressing her palm against his now bare chest, fingers splayed over his heart, he shuddered and Skye waited, giving him a moment before she allowed her fingertips to slowly skate along his collarbone.

She began to trace random patterns on his skin, drawing figures and writing words, stopping from time to time when she would find yet another old scar, taking her time to caress it with tenderness and pressing her lips to it, kissing it better.

It wasn't long until she felt him start to tremble under her soft touches and kisses, and soon enough, his arms circled her waist and he pulled her into his lap, burying his face in the curve of her neck.

"Skye," he mumbled, hot breath tickling her skin and sending shivers down her spine. "What are you doing to me?"

"Showing you," she answered, voice suddenly thick with emotion.

At that, he lifted his head, confusion written all over his face. "Showing me what?"

"That I love you," she answered, her cheeks flushing pink under the intensity of his gaze. "All of you," she said after a pause, the tip of her index finger tracing the scar above his heart, the constant reminder of how close she'd been to almost losing him. "Even the parts of you that you don't want anyone to see."


End file.
